Associate Professor at, University of Witwatersrand South Africa
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Philip Kofi Adom is a distinguished Ghanaian economist and academic renowned for his cutting-edge research in energy economics, environmental policy, and sustainable development. Currently serving as Associate Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand and soon-to-be Professor and Head of the Economics Department at Ashesi University (2026), he has held several key academic and research positions across Ghana, South Africa, Sweden, and Hong Kong. With extensive contributions to policy-influencing research through global platforms like the Environment for Development (EfD), SETI, and the African Development Bank, Dr. Adom bridges the gap between rigorous academic inquiry and practical development solutions. He is also a dedicated educator and mentor, contributing significantly to curriculum design, research supervision, and academic leadership. His accolades, including the prestigious Global Swede Award and multiple international research grants, affirm his stature as a global thought leader in sustainable economic development.
Publication Profile
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Education
Dr. Philip Kofi Adom earned his PhD in Economics from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in 2016, where his thesis on “Energy Demand Management in Selected African Countries” received the prestigious Global Swede Award. He was mentored by a trio of accomplished scholars and served as a Browald Scholar. He holds an MPhil in Economics from the University of Ghana, graduating with a GPA of 3.71/4.0 under the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) scholarship. His academic journey began with a First Class Honours B.Ed. in Social Sciences (Economics) from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Dr. Adom has further enhanced his expertise with specialized certifications in financial appraisal, efficiency analysis, and market-based instruments from institutions in Sweden, Canada, and the Netherlands. This diverse and international academic foundation equips him with a strong analytical, empirical, and interdisciplinary approach to economic research and policy innovation.
Experience
Dr. Adom’s academic and research career spans over a decade, with teaching and research roles at prestigious institutions such as the University of the Witwatersrand, Ashesi University, and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). From 2026, he will assume the role of Professor and Head of Economics at Ashesi University. He has held research fellowships and advisory roles at top international think tanks, including SETI-IGE (University of Gothenburg), EfD (Duke University), and the African Development Bank. He was also Director of Research at the Institute of Energy and Climate Change Policy. Earlier in his career, he served as a Lecturer at the University of Professional Studies and a Visiting Lecturer at Central University. His broad experience integrates economics, policy advocacy, research leadership, curriculum development, and student mentorship across multiple international and African contexts, reflecting a well-rounded and impactful academic trajectory.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Adom is the recipient of several prestigious international awards and honors. Most notably, he was honored with the Global Swede Award by the Swedish Foreign Ministry and the Browarldh PhD Scholarship by Handelsbanken for his doctoral work. He was also awarded the NOVA Scholarship and DANIDA GRANT under the Growth and Employment Platform. Early in his career, he earned the African Economic Research Consortium Scholarship and a Senior High School Government Scholarship in Ghana. These honors recognize both his academic excellence and his policy-relevant research in economics. His ability to consistently attract competitive funding—such as from IDRC Canada, SiDA Sweden, and the International Growth Centre—has further enabled him to lead and collaborate on high-impact projects across Africa and globally. His career trajectory exemplifies scholarly excellence and practical relevance in addressing development challenges.
Research Focus
Dr. Adom’s research spans energy economics, environmental and resource economics, applied econometrics, and sustainable development. His core interest lies in investigating how African countries can transition toward efficient, low-carbon, and inclusive economies. He applies advanced quantitative tools—such as efficiency analysis and econometric modeling—to assess energy policies, informality’s effect on energy efficiency, and socioeconomic outcomes of climate change. He also explores the intersection of financial inclusion, child development, and household behavior in low-income settings. As a senior fellow in initiatives like SETI and EfD, he contributes to shaping research on community forestry, utility regulation, and clean energy transitions. Through projects funded by IDRC, SiDA, and IGC, he generates evidence that influences national and regional policy. His multidisciplinary approach brings together environmental science, development economics, and public policy, making him a key contributor to achieving the SDGs in Africa and beyond.
Publication Top Notes
Carbon dioxide emissions, economic growth, industrial structure, and technical efficiency: Empirical evidence from Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco on the causal dynamics
Electricity consumption-economic growth nexus: the Ghanaian case
Modelling aggregate domestic electricity demand in Ghana: An autoregressive distributed lag bounds cointegration approach
The technical decomposition of carbon emissions and the concerns about FDI and trade openness effects in the United States
Asymmetric impacts of the determinants of energy intensity in Nigeria
Effects of changing trade structure and technical characteristics of the manufacturing sector on energy intensity in Ghana